“Make sure to cast your vote!” That’s what Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone told fans ahead of the 2025 ESPYs. And why wouldn’t they? She was flawless last season! Unbeaten in many races, a new world record in the books, and two shiny Olympic golds around her neck. It felt like a lock. But as the awards played out, and Simone Biles swept both her categories, fans noticed something: Sydney had been completely snubbed. No trophy. No speech. Just stunned fans flooding the internet with big questions…

Simone Biles stole the spotlight at the 2025 ESPY Awards, sweeping both categories she was nominated for. Dressed in a bespoke Zac Posen x Athleta gown, crafted from the fabric of her favorite Transcend Open‑Back tee, she accepted her first honor, Best Championship Performance. “That was unexpected, especially in a category of men. So thank you guys,” she said. Moments later, she returned to the stage to claim Best Athlete in Women’s Sports. But that second win lit up the internet—for many fans, it was Sydney McLaughlin‑Levrone who deserved the crown.

On ESPN’s post of the victory, one fan commented, “Should’ve been Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. Simone is great, but Sydney is even more dominant in her discipline.” Levrone had an exceptional season last year, and Biles? Simone Biles is the GOAT. Maybe what the fans feel is that she has been so exceptional over the years that 2024 was just her being her normal self; perhaps she had normalized the exceptional for her. Sydney McLaughlin‑Levrone really was in a league of her own. In 2024, she won every single individual race she entered, including Diamond League meets and Olympic Trials.

Biles was also not very far behind. Even saying that she was behind would be wrong. She helped Team USA to gold with clutch performances on vault and floor, scoring 14.900 and 14.666, helping the team post a dominant total of 171.296. Days later, she reclaimed her all-around crown with a commanding 59.131.

Soaring even higher, she claimed vault gold with a 15.300, and followed it up with a graceful, nearly flawless floor routine that earned her silver. What made it better was that this came after her withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics due to mental health reasons. But even after all of that, the fans chose Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone as their winner, expressing disappointment with Simone Biles’ win. So to say, given how different gymnastics and track & field are, comparing their dominance isn’t exactly a straightforward call.

Fans chose Sydney over Simone Biles

Fans have already been angry with Biles being chosen over Steph Curry, and now, with Sydney losing as well, fans have turned on her. One person took to X to say, “I love Simone Biles but either Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone OR Gabby Thomas deserved the best woman athlete award waaay more this go around in my opinion. #ESPYS.” Thomas also had an amazing run in a historic triple-gold performance at the Paris Olympics: taking individual 200 m gold in 21.83 s, and contributing to Team USA victories in both the 4×100 m and 4×400 m relays (the latter in a U.S. record time)

Another fan took to the comment section to say, “Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was so dominant at her sport. I am kinda shocked she didn’t win. She won the 400m hurdles but a second and a half.” At the Paris Olympic final on August 8, 2024, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone clocked 50.37 seconds, while the silver medalist, Anna Cockrell, was 1.5 seconds behind. That is a huge difference in track and field. “Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broke a World Record last year and won 2 golds. But sure she shouldn’t be athlete of the year,” came another opinion.

The 50.37s run in the finals not only won her the gold, but it was also the world’s fastest run in 400 mH. The previous record (50.65) also belonged to her, which she made in the 2024 Olympic trials. Another fan reasoned, “I’m not going to lie I really wanted Sydney McLaughlin-Levorne to win #ESPYS … but I honestly think because it’s track and field is not as popular as basketball or gymnastics. Most people know who Simone biles is.”

If judged by the voting, Sydney may not have the same social media reach, 1.5 million followers to Biles’ 12.3 million, but that’s not supposed to be what the ESPYs are about. Or is it? Fans are left wondering if popularity ended up outweighing pure performance. So what do you think—was it a fair win, or did it miss the mark? Let us know in the comments.